In 1957, U.S. Pat. No. 2,776,443 was issued to Lauren A. Howard for his water skiing apparatus. At that time he stated a water skier had no control over the towing craft, other than by shouts and gestures to a second person in the tow craft, who directed its course and controlled its speed. He therefore provided his catamaran, powered by an outboard engine, and controlled by the water skier, being towed by this powered towing catamaran. Mr. Howard utilized Bowden wire cables protected within a casing, along with a tow line cable, to serve in transmitting the water skier's initiated control movements to the controls on the catamaran.
In 1959 Kurt Schachner and Helmut Stieger in their U.S. Pat. No. 2,914,018, illustrated and described their water-borne motor-powered towing device for control by a water skier. The water skier in skiing behind the watercraft held onto a tubular rod, rotatable from water level and upwardly in a vertical plane. Control cables for ignition, starter, and throttle, were installed in the tubular rod. When skiing, the water skier, via this tubular rod, and these controls, guided, steered, and further controlled the towing watercraft. In one embodiment of their watercraft, the tubular rod and controls were removed, a seat was installed, and a driver used this watercraft solely as a power boat.
In 1961, Lee S. Simpson in his U.S. Pat. No. 2,972,326 disclosed his tow vehicle for water skiers. The towed water skier had complete control of the tow vehicle via a pneumatic system having compressed air flowing in tubes within the tow rope. If the water skier fell, automatic controls stopped the engine of the watercraft, i.e. the tow vehicle.
In 1962, James C. Moore in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,172 described and illustrated his motor-driven water ski towing device having a rigid extending elongated handle used by the water skier in controlling the watercraft, in turn towing the water skier.
In 1965, Branko R. Perkut in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,493, disclosed his water skiing apparatus having a stiff connecting element located between the boat and the water skier, and having controls used by the water skier to control the boat.
In 1973, John V. Murphy in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,962 illustrated and described his motorized ski towing unit. He used an outboard motor with a flotation unit essentially directly connected to water skiis, whereby the water skier had control over the operation of the outboard motor. If the water skier fell, spring actuated valves no longer held open by the water skier effectively closed the air intake to the carburetor of the outboard motor to stop the motor and consequently to stop the towing unit.
In 1973, Alphons Francis in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,817 described and illustrated his tow-craft for a swimmer. Water was taken inside the tow-craft and driven by a propeller located inside a tube, in turn inside the tow-craft, for discharge at the stern to propel the tow-craft. The swimmer being pulled by the tow craft held on to a handlebar. The swimmer controlled the tow craft by operating controls located nearby the handlebar.
In 1974, Ronald A. Nichols and George Rakuson in their U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,717 disclosed their water skiing apparatus to tow a water skier, who had complete control of the operation of this water skiing apparatus. The tow line contained hydraulic lines serving to convey directional and speed signals, and an electrical circuit for starting and stopping the engine. A water pump was driven by the engine and the discharge of the water was directionally controlled by an adjustable discharge nozzle. When the towed water skier is away from shore and tired, he or she may climb aboard this boat and pilot this water skiing apparatus to shore.
In 1974 Miroslav Uroshevich in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,354 disclosed his chassis for water ski towing device having an essentially rigid tow bar gripped by a water skier, who controlled this water ski towing device.
In 1975 Richard T. Powers in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,993 disclosed his improved tow bar assembly for a water ski towing device used with Miroslav Uroshevich's chassis for water ski towing device, as shown in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,354.
These inventors provided water skiers with watercraft they could control when they were skiing behind them. Other inventors have provided safety apparatus for watercraft which are useful or could be useful in conjunction with water skiing.
In 1932, Robert H. Tobener Jr. provided a throttle ignition switch which would turn off, if a driver of a boat unintentionally fell out of the boat.
In 1971 Daniel M. Penaflor in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,602,188 disclosed his ski boat warning apparatus, which automatically raised a flag when a water skier released the ski tow rope.
In 1974 Donald C. Langford in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,798,631 disclosed his water skier alarm system, which produced an audible alarm when a water skier fell. The audible alarm continued until a flag was raised to indicate to other persons in possible nearby boats, that a water skier was in the water.
In 1988 Cheryl G. Little in her U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,784 illustrated and described her motorized boat mounted signaling device for water skiers. When a water skier fell and was in the water, a flag was raised either automatically upon release of the tow rope by the water skier, or directly by a driver and/or passenger in the towing watercraft.
In 1987 Steven H. Lugo in his U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,213 described and illustrated his signal flag apparatus for water skiing. An automatic mechanism held the warning flag down when the water skier applied tension on the tow rope, and quickly raised the flag in the absence of the water skier's applied tension force, when he or she fell.
In 1986 James R. Solean in his U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,141 described and illustrated his towrope-handling system monitor for waterskiing. When a water skier fell an alarm sounded in the tow boat to warn the driver the water skier had fallen. The alarm was triggered upon loss of tension in the tow rope and/or upon the towrope handle dropping into the water to complete an electrical circuit. An indicator in the towing watercraft recorded the relative position of the water skier with this watercraft at the time the water skier fell.
In 1984, Ronald S. Alley, Sr. in his U.S. Pat. No. 4,483,683 disclosed his ski tow signal assembly, which could be actuated by the water skier by his or her direct command, or indirectly when he or she fell when waterskiing. The radio signals created caused a horn to sound and a rotary strobe light to function.
In addition to safety devices, other inventors have provided improvements for small powered watercraft. In 1987, Katumi Watanable in his U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,671 described and illustrated his watercraft with a thrust-reversing device.
In 1986, Mitsuhiro Yazski in his U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,293 disclosed his air intake arrangement for a small boat, which had an engine driving a water jet propulsion device.
In 1988, Messrs. Konomu Murakami and Hiroshi Nishida illustrated and described their deck construction of a small boat to support an operator thereof in a standing or seated position.
All these prior inventors and many other inventors concerned with the provision of smaller watercraft for high performances, and especially those inventors concerned with providing water skiers with better ski towing watercraft have presented excellent watercraft and controls therefor. However, there has remained a need for a smaller watercraft to serve a combination of needs, commencing with the primary need of watercraft to be controlled directly by a water skier in a very safe way. Then a need to provide these watercraft to carry two persons, when they would then be operating this watercraft to pull a water skier. Thereafter a need to provide the watercraft to carry one or two persons, when they were operating the watercraft to be just motorboating or speedboating by themselves and not pulling a water skier.